


Trying Our Best

by ByTheAngell (SomeLittleInfamy)



Series: Hunter's moon 500 Word Prompts [26]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Fear, Gen, Leadership, Panic, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:48:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28001166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeLittleInfamy/pseuds/ByTheAngell
Summary: When Alec falls unconscious Izzy freezes, well aware of the eyes turning to her for leadership she isn't sure she can provide.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood
Series: Hunter's moon 500 Word Prompts [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776664
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	Trying Our Best

Things aren’t going great, but Isabelle isn’t worried. Her whip slices through the air at an approaching demon as she listens to Alec shout orders to the others around them, careful to keep an ear out for any directions he may have for her as well. His words are strong, steady, and they give everyone else the confidence that everything’s going to be fine despite a few hiccups.

No less than a minute later her entire world turns upside-down as she watches Alec fall to the ground motionless. She didn’t see the demon circle behind Alec, and apparently neither did he.

Isabelle stands frozen in place, rooted to the ground in fear and panic. She feels the ripple of uncertainty pass through her the same as it does the others, except it’s ten times worse for her. Alec isn’t just the leader of this mission, he’s her _brother_ , her protector. And now he’s unconscious and bleeding.

No one is shouting orders, no one is taking charge, and that’s when she realizes why - they’re all looking to her now.

The panic immediately intensifies. For another second, and then two, and then three, Izzy remains motionless. She wants to move, tries to will her feet forward towards her brother or backward to safer ground, but neither happens. She isn’t Alec. She isn’t a leader, not the way he is, not the way the other Shadowhunters around her need right now. She has a moment where she thinks to herself _‘I can’t do this, pick someone else, look somewhere else’_ , but they don’t.

So Isabelle moves.

“Brightvale, three o’clock!” She shouts commands as she makes her way to Alec, checking his pulse, drawing on an iratze. She can’t help him until they’re done here, and that’s the singular thought motivating her just then. Thankfully, it’s enough. She protects Alec’s fallen body, trying not to think too hard about how still and helpless he looks beside her. Whip lashing out, she leads the charge now, doing her best to copy the phrasing and tone Alec would use, trying to see the bigger picture in ways she normally didn’t have to think about in her usual role.

The others listen. They follow without question, without hesitation, and soon enough they have the last of the demons taken care of.

It takes Alec hours to wake up, and Izzy doesn’t leave his side once. Once the reports are made about how she stepped up and took over after Alec fell she hears words of praise from her parents and Jace, but all she can think about are the moments she froze, reliving the fear of thinking she might’ve lost Alec over and over again.

Finally, as Alec stirs in the bed and his eyes blink open slowly, Izzy gives him a watery smile. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” she manages.

“I’ll try not to,” Alec says, and she knows it’s the best he can promise. She only hopes that it will be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> (Find me on [Tumblr](http://bytheangell.tumblr.com) and also on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/By_The_Angell)! <3 )


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